Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee Soccer announces hiring of Pritchard Ndaira as Assistant Coach
2/13/2026 2:41:00 PM | Women's Soccer
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee Soccer head coach Aston Rhoden announced the addition of Pritchard Ndaira as the program's new Assistant Coach on Friday.
Ndaira expressed enthusiasm for his new role:
MTSU is a place that has a lot of success. Also, as I have been meeting people, I think that is what excites me the most. Seeing what Aston has been able to do here at Middle Tennessee, I'm excited to be part of the program.
Head Coach Rhoden on Ndaira's hiring:
I am excited to have Pritchard join our staff. We had an overwhelming response to our job opening, and after a few conversations with him, it was clear he was the right person at this moment to add to our staff. His values are consistent with ours, and his experience as a coach and recruiter will be an asset to our program. His addition to our staff will certainly help us grow in several ways this upcoming season.
Ndaira joined the Blue Raiders' staff after serving as Associate Head Coach at Lipscomb during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
In the 2025 season, Ndaira really played a crucial role in helping Lipscomb achieve a record of 15 wins, 6 losses, and 2 draws. With the goalkeeping unit, Ndaira notched up 12 shutouts. Some notable victories included a 2-0 win against Queens in the first round, a 1-0 overtime win against Jacksonville University, and a 3-0 win in the ASUN Championship, which meant the Bisons clinched the ASUN Championship for the second year in a row. In the first round of the NCAA tournament, they managed to beat sixth-seed Mississippi State 1-0 in Starkville. Unfortunately, Lipscomb's run came to an end in the second round when they were knocked out by Florida State, the national champion and third overall seed.
In his first season with the Bisons back in 2024, Ndaira helped the team to a record of 14 wins, 4 losses, and 4 draws, winning the ASUN Championship for the fourth time in the school's history, which got them into the NCAA tournament. They faced eighth-seed Vanderbilt but ended up losing. During that season, Ndaira led the goalkeeping team to 11 shutouts, including two in the ASUN tournament, with standout wins such as a 7-0 victory against Central Arkansas in the semifinals and a 1-0 win over Eastern Kentucky in the final. Freshman goalkeeper Kaïna Cesar made the ASUN all-freshman team and had the top goals-against average in the ASUN Conference season under Ndaira.
Ndaira served as head coach at his alma mater, Faulkner University, from 2018 to 2024, leading the program to its first winning season since 2011 and revitalizing the team's culture and competitiveness. He achieved three consecutive postseason appearances, including two conference semifinal berths, and was responsible for recruiting and retaining a 45-player roster, thereby building a sustainable and competitive talent pipeline. Ndaira's teams included 18 different NAIA Scholar-Athletes and a total of 67 SSAC All-Academic selections.
During his collegiate career, Ndaira was one of the top goalkeepers in Faulkner men's soccer program history, setting the program record for career saves with 323 nearly 100 saves higher than the second-highest total and ranking third in save percentage among goalkeepers who played in at least 50 percent of the team's matches. He was a three-time member of the all-academic team and earned a conference Defensive Player of the Week honor in his senior year. Additionally, he received second-team All-SSAC honors in 2014 and was named team MVP three times.
After graduating, Ndaira pursued coaching opportunities at George Washington Carver High School and Mountain Brook High School, serving as an assistant coach in 2016 and 2017. He worked with the Alabama Olympic Development Program as a goalkeeper coach and served as head coach for the Alabama Elite Player Development Program. Ndaira has also coached the Vestavia Hills Soccer Club and Crank Soccer since 2017.
He played semi-professional soccer for five seasons with three different teams: Birmingham Hammers (2015-2017), Georgia Revolution (2014), and Myrtle Beach Mutiny (2013).
Ndaira is a native of Triangle, Zimbabwe and earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Faulkner in 2015 and obtained a master's in justice administration in May 2021.
He is married to Nicole Berryman. They have a daughter named Charlotte and sons named Jackson and Jude.
